State senator: Cruz is a ‘Wendy Wannabe’

State Senator Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, slammed U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz as a “Wendy Wannabe” in a telephone call with reporters about his talkathon against the federal health care law.

“Wendy Davis filibustered for women’s health. Senator Cruz filibustered against people having health care. Such a stark contrast,” Van de Putte said. “Senator Cruz may be a Wendy wannabe, but he certainly is arguing and standing up for people not getting health care.”

Davis, a Fort Worth Democrat, came to national prominence with a filibuster against tighter abortion restrictions and is expected to announce her bid for governor next week.

Cruz, whose effort wasn’t technically a filibuster, said he was fighting to scrap funding for Obamacare because that’s what Americans want.

In a statement, he called it “this bill that isn’t working, that’s hurting the American people, that’s killing jobs, that’s forcing people into part-time work, that’s driving up health insurance premiums and that’s causing millions to lose or fear that they will lose their health insurance.

Van de Putte, who is being talked up as a potential candidate for lieutenant governor, and U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey took part in a telephone conference call with reporters sponsored by the Texas Democratic Party.

The lawmakers voiced concern about the potential damage that could come from a government shutdown related to the fight to defund Obamacare, with Van de Putte citing veterans in particular.

She noted that other U.S. Senate Republicans also want to cut funding to the federal health care law to stop its implementation but “know it would be foolish” to shut down the federal government “just to throw a temper tantrum” on the Affordable Care Act.